House Votes to Subpoena CFPB Employees Over Racism Accusations

A House Financial Services subcommittee unanimously approved three subpoenas for officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday, American Banker reports. The subpoenas follow accusations of racism at CFPB.

The House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee approved the subpoenas after agreeing to add amendments by top Democrats that included looking further into employee practices at other federal financial agencies. Democrats also added amendments to recognize that the CFPB and its union offered to send other officials to testify on the issue, including Director Richard Cordray.

“Like all of my colleagues I think that any insidious discrimination at the CFPB has to be dealt with but I don’t think that we should find ourselves some years from now being criticized for having had an opportunity to look at these issues at other agencies and not having done so,” said Rep. Al Green, the lead Democrat on the subcommittee, who proposed the amendments. “This amendment simply allows us the opportunity to look at other agencies with equal and due diligence. The same due diligence that we are courting the CFPB.”

CFPB has been accused of racism in its performance reviews used to decide grant raises and bonuses.

Additionally, managers at the bureau have been accused of creating a ‘hostile work environment’ and allowing bullying.